TBDPS and Br-TBDPS protecting groups as efficient aryl group donors in Pd-catalyzed arylation of phenols and anilines.

It is shown that the TBDPS protecting group can serve as an efficient phenyl group donor for o-bromophenols via Pd-catalyzed C-H arylation followed by a routine TBAF deprotection of the resulting silacycles. Employment of the newly designed Br-TBDPS protecting group in the same sequence allows for a facile introduction of a phenyl group at the ortho position of phenols and anilines. Alternatively, switching desilylation to oxidation in the last step allows the conversion of forming silacycles into valuable o-biphenols.